1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a universal leg holder for supporting a leg of a patient lying on an operating table under a surgical draping during surgical procedures on the supported leg. More specifically, the invention relates to such a holder which can be broken down or telescoped into auto-clavable parts. In addition, the leg holder of the invention includes facilities for mounting the surgical draping such that a minimum number of parts of the leg holder are exposed to the sterile field.
2. Description of Prior Art
Various devices are taught in the prior art for supporting the leg of a patient during surgical procedures. Illustrative of such devices are the devices taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,709, Whitt, Feb. 15, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,277, Ellison, Oct. 4, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,571, Sugerman, Jan. 31, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,355, Moore et al, July 2, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,516, Stullberg et al, Oct. 7, 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,133, Walsh et al, Jan. 5, 1988.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,709 teaches a holder for supporting the upper limb only of the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,277 is directed at an arthroscope and means for connecting the arthroscope. It also teaches a means for supporting the leg of a patient. However, with the leg holder in the '277 patent, the upper and lower limbs of the patient are not separately manipulable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,355 also relates to a leg holder used during surgical procedures. It consists of a platform 26 which is supported by a rod 18. The rod is pivotable about a horizontal axis whereby the platform 26 is also pivotable about that same axis. Further, the rod 18 can be rotated in the clamp 22 so that it is also rotatable about a vertical axis so that the platform 26 is also rotatable about that same vertical axis. Platform 28 is pivotally connected to platform 26 by swivel lock 32, and platform 28 carries a leg holder arrangement 30 which consists of padded L-shaped members 36 and 40 between which the leg is inserted. The padded member 40 is slidable along the platform 28 on slidable carriage 56, and it is movable up and down relative to the platform 28 along post 44. Accordingly, the position and orientation of the leg holder can be adjusted in three planes. Once again, the holder of the '355 patent is to support only the upper or lower limb of the patient, usually the upper limb.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,516 teaches a device for supporting only the lower limb of a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,133 teaches a means for supporting the upper limb only of a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,571 teaches a limb holder and positioning device which includes a central support member 10, rod 11 extending outwardly from one end of the central support member 10, and an extension member 15 extending outwardly from the other end of the central support member 10. An L-shaped upper limb engaging member 14 is disposed on the central support member, and a lower limb engaging member 16 is disposed at the far end of the extension member 15. In the device in accordance with the '571 patent, the upper limb must remain stationary and cannot be manipulated. The lower limb can be manipulated relative to the upper limb. Further, with the '571 device, the knee of the patient must be suspended beyond the edge of the operating table. In addition, as the entire device of the '571 patent is in the sterile field, it must all be auto-claved.